FAQ ID # 4642 - Let's suppose a person is due to receive an inheritance. A smaller portion of the inheritance is distributed ahead of the larger remainder. Some teaching I've heard on TBN says one should give the full amount of the initial amount as a 'first fruit' offering to the Lord. This was considered scriptural for any firsts... paychecks of a new job, etc. I recall this was done not only to honor the Lord but to secure His blessing on the future provisions. Is this wise, optional and/or is just tithing on any amount acceptable practice as a New Testament believer? Does the 'first fruit' teaching have any merit or is it just another 'prosperity' gimmick?

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FAQ ID # 4642

Last Update : 2006/05/15
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Question / Issue

Let's suppose a person is due to receive an inheritance. A smaller portion of the inheritance is distributed ahead of the larger remainder. Some teaching I've heard on TBN says one should give the full amount of the initial amount as a 'first fruit' offering to the Lord. This was considered scriptural for any firsts... paychecks of a new job, etc. I recall this was done not only to honor the Lord but to secure His blessing on the future provisions. Is this wise, optional and/or is just tithing on any amount acceptable practice as a New Testament believer? Does the 'first fruit' teaching have any merit or is it just another 'prosperity' gimmick?

Answer / Solution

For Christians today, the priciple of first fruits means to make your offering to the Lord out of the first part of your earnings (not whatever is left over). It never really meant to bring "whatever you get first".

Lev 23:10-11

10 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

17'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.

As you see, they were to bring a sheaf (from) the first fruits of the harvest. It does not imply that one sheaf was the total of the first fruits, for that would be a ridiculously small harvest.In another offering, they were to bake two loaves for the first fruits offering. Again, this is just a token part of the first part of the harvest, not all that they gathered in.

I don't see anything in Scripture to substantiate the way they are interpreting the first fruits principle.

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